The Monastery, a National Cultural Asset
The Monastery of Sant Daniel was declared a national monument in 1931 and it is also listed in the Special Plan for the Protection of the Valley of Sant Daniel in Girona as a building of notable historical and architectural interest. There are other materials and works of art at the monastery of remarkable value, which tell us about life at the monastery, its traditions and religious cult.
Among this heritage, the devotional works dedicated to the cult of Saint Daniel deserve special mention. Ermessenda de Vilamarí made notable contributions to this iconography: the reliquary tomb of Saint Daniel, made by Aloi de Montbrai, and the reliquary arm of Saint Daniel, both works dating from the 14th century. The monastery also contains a sculptural group of five figures from the Holy Sepulchre, carved by Onofre Enric in 1574.
Other artefacts include material vestiges of old techniques, customs and ways of life. The monastery contains ceramic tiles in different styles and from different periods, also various medieval and modern tombstones, and numerous pieces of black pottery and other utensils and items of furniture.
Reliquary tomb of Saint Daniel
Aloi de Montbrai, 1345
On 7 December 1343, the sacristan Ermessenda de Vilamarí instructed Aloi de Montbrai to build a tomb to hold the saint’s remains, discovered three years earlier in the monastery church. It is made of alabaster and features six scenes sculpted on the front side that depict the life of the saint.
Reliquiary arm of Saint Daniel
14th Century
Silver reliquary arm bearing the Vilamarí family coat of arms.